14

Chapter 14 – Lucy at Fairy Tail

"Oh wow," Lucy stared in awe of the three story building that was the Fairy Tail Guild Hall. "It sure is big!"

"Welcome to Fairy Tail!" Happy exclaimed as he hopped into the air. Natsu grinned at the blonde, letting her take in the moment.

As the trio walked into the Guild Hall the sounds of laughter were heard and Lucy got her first sight of the members of Fairy Tail. There had to be fifty or so people in the hall. Some were sitting at tables, eating, drinking, or chatting with each other. A few mages were looking at a large board with Quests posted on it. Various waitresses were walking around with trays of drink and food. The atmosphere alone brought a smile to Lucy's face.

Lucy couldn't help it; she was in the Guild of her dreams! Her eyes were roving over everyone and everything, trying to take it all in! She noticed long platinum hair and her eyes widened, that was Mirajane! Fairy Tail's most notable model for Sorcerer Weekly's Pin-up Shoots! She was wearing dark shorts that hung low on her hips and stopped just above mid-thigh. On her left thigh was the Fairy Tail Guild Mark in a dark-red color. A dark-purple, spaghetti-strap top clung to her voluptuous figure and left her midriff bare. Around her neck was a necklace made from what looked like a fairly large fang. She wore thigh high stockings with stylish short-heeled boots. Her long, platinum hair was held in a ponytail by a deep-purple ribbon that was tied in a bow. Her beautiful face was framed by two long locks of her hair while her bangs hung low, just short of getting in her eyes. Lucy might have had a small 'girl crush' on the famous mage.

"Mira, can we get three beers over here?" A mage asked from the table he and two others were sitting at.

"Yeah, sure, give me a minute." Mira called over her shoulder to the man. She was already balancing a tray on her hand that was full of food and drinks.

"Hey, Mira-chan~" An older looking man, smoking a cigarette called out to the beauty.

"Yeah, what is it, Wakaba?" Mira raised a delicate eyebrow as she turned to face the older man. Wakaba blew out smoke that quickly turned pink, before forming itself into the shape of multiple stylized hearts.

"You're looking as beautiful as ever today!" Wakaba flirted with a grin.

"Honestly..." Mira rolled her eyes before she waved her hand. A glow overtook her body for a second before she transformed into a plump, older woman with rosy cheeks, wearing a red dress. "You're already married, Mister!"

"Ah! She turned into my wife!" Wakaba panicked while all the members around the pair laughed loudly at the man.

"Ah!" Mira turned back into her normal appearance and Lucy almost squealed when the model's blue eyes noticed her and Natsu at the door.

"I'm back!" Natsu announced loudly, making every head in the guild turn to look at them.

"Natsu! Happy! Welcome back!" Mira smiled beautifully at her Mate.

"So Natsu, did you destroy anything this…" Krov began to tease only for Natsu's fist to crash into his face. The brunette man went flying backwards and hit the ground hard.

"You jackass!" Natsu yelled at the buck-toothed man. "We flew out of here in a rush because of your dumb rumor! Next time you hear about Dragonkin in a populated area, GET CLEAR INFORMATION!" Krov may or may not have heard the pink-haired young man as he was still laid out on the floor.

"What the heck?!" Lucy exclaimed in shock at the sudden violence.

"Hey Mira," Natsu walked up to his Mate with a warm smile. "I got a few souvenirs from the short trip."

"How thoughtful of you." Mira gave her own warm smile as they leaned close and their lips met for a soft kiss. Lucy's eyes nearly bugged out of her head at the sight of Natsu and Mira kissing! She didn't know they were together! With a mage as popular as Mirajane Strauss, the blonde figured Sorcerer Weekly would have done a full article on the model being in a relationship!

"Natsu's back?!" A dark blue, almost black, haired young man called out as he approached the group. Lucy instantly noticed he was shirtless and had his Guild Mark on his right pectoral in a dark-navy color. He also had a silver necklace with a charm of some kind on it that sort of looked like a sword.

"Gray…really, in front of a guest?" Cana sighed at the Ice Mage from where she was sitting at a nearby table, a wine glass in her hand. She was wearing a white shirt, which left her abdomen and forearms exposed, it was held closed by a band below her collar, which was decorated by a wavy blue motif. She tied the shirt in a knot below her breasts, which were exposed by the shirt and covered in a black bikini top, with white edges. Her black capris were held up by a lavender belt, and she wore short-heeled sandals, secured to her feet by many striped bands, which ended at mid-calf. Lucy noticed her Guild Mark in a dark-red on he left waist, just above her hip.

"Gah! When did that happen?!" Gray panicked as he looked down at his lack of clothing. He quickly ran off when he spotted his pants on the other side of the Hall, hanging off the back of a chair.

"…" Lucy couldn't find words for what she was witnessing. What kind of person stripped out of their clothes without noticing?!

"Cana," Natsu smiled at his brunette Mate. Cana grinned back at him before he leaned down towards her. The Card Mage titled her head up a bit so their lips met. The two enjoyed a gentle kiss while Lucy's eyes darted between the two kissing and Mirajane. How could Natsu kiss another woman in front of Mirajane?! Weren't they together?! What was going on?!

"Welcome back, Natsu." Cana grinned at her Mate once they separated.

"I brought souvenirs!" Natsu smiled as he pulled out the two boxes he'd bought in Hargeon. He set both of them on the table and gestured for Cana to open one while Mira opened the other. The two opened the packages to find a bottle of wine and a box of small, sweet pastries.

"Well, look at this." Cana grinned as she pulled the wine bottle out of the box. "That's a nice pairing, sweets with Moscato, someone's been paying attention." The Card Mage teased her Mate with a smirk.

"I do live with you." Natsu smirked back, making Cana and Mira chuckle.

"Well, no reason to let these go to waste!" Cana smiled as she opened the wine and motioned for Natsu and Mira to join her.

"Alright," Mira playfully rolled her eyes. She handed the tray she was carrying off to another waitress, along with the order for three beers, before she joined Cana and Natsu. Lucy blinked as the three sat down together without a care. How was Mirajane okay with Natsu kissing another woman? Was Natsu some kind of playboy?

"Natsu! You prick!" Krov yelled from behind as he tossed an empty beer mug at the pinkette. Lucy watched, as if in slow motion, as the mug travelled through the air. It took her only a fraction of a second to realize that the mug wouldn't hit Natsu, but Mirajane who was sitting next to him!

"Look out!" Lucy called, even though she was sure it would be too late. Mira's hand shot up and snatched the mug out of the air. The beautiful Take-Over Mage's arm almost blurred as she tossed the mug back the way it came! Lucy's hair was blown back by the wind the thrown mug caused! A crash was heard followed by yelling!

"Oh shit! I think he's dead!" Someone yelled, standing over the bleeding Krov.

"No, wait…he's still breathing…he'll probably be fine." Another guy stated after checking on the injured Krov.

"Did you just throw something at my sister?!" A tall, white-haired man in a dark navy outfit roared at the group of three mages. Without a chance to defend themselves both of the standing men were punched in the face! The duo crashed into another table causing a ruckus to start!

"Huh?" Lucy watched in disbelief as a full-on bar brawl started on the other side of the Guild Hall.

"These are good!" Mira smiled happily as she tried the pastries after a sip of the wine.

"Mhmm~" Cana nodded in agreement as she savored the pairing.

"Glad you like them." Natsu's warm smile made both young women swoon just a bit. They adored that smile that was only for the four of them.

"Shouldn't you stop that?" Lucy spoke up as she pointed to the escalating bar fight.

"Oh! Are you new here?" A soft, kind voice spoke up from behind Lucy. The blonde turned to face the newcomer and almost fangirled again.

"Eee! You're Lisanna Strauss, in person!" Lucy trilled at seeing another famous mage. Mirajane and Lisanna often graced the pages of Sorcerer Weekly, whether for modelling clothes or pin-up shots, the issues with the sisters in them always sold well! Lisanna was wearing a light-blue striped, V-neck shirt that showed off the barest hint of her cleavage. Along with green short-shorts that showed off both her toned butt and her legs, including the red Guild Mark on her left thigh, almost identical in color to Natsu's Mark. On her feet were nice, blue sneakers from a brand that Lucy knew to be expensive. She shook her head before pointing at the brawl again. "Shouldn't someone stop them?"

"This happens all the time," Lisanna smiled at the rambunctious mages fighting each other. "It's best to just let it run its course."

"R-Really?" Lucy sweat dropped as she saw another person go flying.

"Besides, it's more fun like this, right?" Lisanna tilted her head with a beautiful smile on her face.

'More terrifying is what I'd call it!' Lucy shouted in her own head.

"Natsu! You're back!" Lisanna beamed at her Mate as she wrapped her arms around his neck from behind and hugged him. Natsu grinned at the hug, also the feeling of Lisanna's buxom chest practically engulfing the back of his head!

"Hey Lisanna," Natsu smiled at her as he turned to face her. Lucy just stood there in shock as she watched their lips meet for a kiss. How many women was Natsu with?!

"Ooh sweets!" Lisanna noticed the pastries and the wine.

"Join us, Lisanna!" Natsu grinned as he pulled her into his lap. Lisanna giggled as she settled into her Mate's lap happily. Cana poured her a glass of the wine; meanwhile Mira got her a pastry.

"That's actually really cute…" Lucy trailed off, seeing the warmth and care the group of four had for each other. It was obvious to anyone with eyes that this wasn't some lust-fueled group. They clearly loved each other and were a family. Maybe not the traditional idea of a family, but Lucy could already tell it was real and built on a foundation of genuine love and trust. She felt her heart beat in her chest as she watched the four of them.

"What a disturbing racket." A man spoke up, commenting on the ever-growing brawl. Lucy looked over at the man and her eyes widened!

"It's Loke! One of the men that always makes Sorcerer Weekly's 'The Mage I'd like to be My Boyfriend' List!" Lucy exclaimed at seeing the orange-haired man.

"Are you entering the fray?" The woman on his left arm asked with a giggle.

"Teach them a lesson!" The other woman that was hanging onto his right arm laughed. Loke laughed along with both of them, clearly enjoying the attention of the ladies.

'There goes another illusion!' Lucy slumped over a bit seeing the obvious playboy. She looked between Loke with his two groupies and Natsu, Lisanna, Mirajane, and Cana. 'It's like night and day.' The Celestial Spirit Mage noted to herself as she looked between the two groups. Lust and fun times on Loke's end; while love, affection, and joy was practically pouring from Natsu, Cana, Mirajane, and Lisanna.

"That's it!" Gray yelled as he entered a stance. Lucy noticed that his pants were back on at least. "Now I'm mad!" His hands began to glow with a light-blue aura.

"Bring it!" The large, white-haired man challenged as his arms changed, becoming stone-like in form.

"Magic?!" Lucy nearly panicked as she saw more and more mages preparing spells!

"Hey, pipe down!" Natsu growled out at the fighting mages. Lucy actually trembled when she felt the magic rolling off the foursome sitting at the table! All four looked less than amused at their time together being interrupted. Also, did all four of them have slit-eyes? She hadn't been paying that close attention to their eyes before, but they definitely had slit-eyes!

"Why don't you make me?!" Gray yelled back in challenge.

"One sec, apparently I've got to go beat Gray's face in!" Natsu rumbled as he made to stand up. Lisanna refused however and forced him to stay as her seat. The short-haired girl held onto the bench to prevent her Mate from leaving. Just as the first spells were about to be thrown a large figure appeared and stomped on the floor, startling everyone in the Hall.

"That's enough, you little dolts!" The massive person bellowed and everyone started to calm down.

"He's huge!" Lucy gaped as she craned her neck to look up at the massive person.

"Oh, you were watching, Master?" Mira spoke up from her seat next to Natsu.

"Master?!" Lucy yelped; this giant was the Master?!

"Hmm? A new face?" The Master mumbled, seeing Lucy next to the foursome of Cana, Mira, Lisanna, and Natsu.

"Y-Yes, sir…" Lucy felt herself trembling but couldn't stop it.

"Haaaagh~" The massive man let out an immense exhale. Lucy flinched, but then she goggled as the mountain of a man rapidly shrank down into the form of a tiny old man. "Nice to meet you! I'm Makarov, the Master of Fairy Tail." Makarov introduced himself with a wave. With that he back-flipped all the way up to the second floor railing; or he would have, if he didn't slam his back into it first! "Urk! Ow, ow, ow; that was my back…ow." Everyone heard him mutter as he righted himself and stood on the railing.

Lucy was wondering if the old man was alright; but he held up a stack of papers and began to speak before she could say anything.

"You've done it again, you bunch of brats!" Makarov waved the stack of papers around. "Look at all of these complaints from the Council!" Several of the mages looked away at those words, Lucy noticed. "First, Gray!" Lucy saw the shirtless young man look up at the old Master. "While you completed your job of capturing those smugglers; you then ran through town in the nude and went so far as to steal a resident's clothes off the line!"

"Well, I couldn't just keep running around naked…" Gray muttered out.

"Why'd you even get naked to begin with?" Elfman questioned him.

"Elfman!" Makarov snapped at the Take-Over Mage. "While performing a Bodyguard Request for a VIP, you ended up attacking that same VIP!"

"He made a crack about a man only being worth as much as his education, and next thing I knew…" Elfman mumbled as he scratched his cheek. Makarov just shook his head at the muscular young man.

"Cana, you bought a ten-thousand Jewel bottle of wine, falsely claimed it as 'expenses' and then sent the bill to your client!" Makarov read off the complaint for the Booze Dragon Slayer.

"How is that not an expense?" Cana questioned getting a side-hug from a chuckling Natsu.

"Loke! You seduced the granddaughter of Councilman Rage! We've also received a bill for damages from a talent agency you skipped out on! You will be paying that back!" Makarov grumbled at the playboy. Loke merely looked off to the side while rubbing the back of his head.

"Wow, it's like reading one of the articles in Sorcerer Weekly..." Lucy mumbled to herself, hearing all the different complaints.

"And Natsu…" Makarov physically slumped; Lucy heard giggles from Lisanna and Mira. "In bringing down the Devon Bandit Clan, you damaged seven private homes! You almost brought down Tuly Village's historic clock tower! When fighting a Dark Mage in Freesia, you ended up destroying the church! You damaged a section of Lupinus Castle while hunting the Drake they requested slain! The observation station at Nazuna Ravine is closed due to wanton destruction too!"

"I completed all the Quests though…" Natsu grumbled while getting hugs from his Mates.

'So Natsu was the one who caused most of the damage I read about?' Lucy blinked as she looked at the pink-haired mage.

"Alzack… Levy… Krov… Reedus… Warren… Bisca…" Makarov shook as he listed off name after name. "All of you have done nothing but make the Council angry at me!" All the named mages looked ashamed. "But… The Council can eat shit for all I care!" With that statement he set the stack of complaints on fire and tossed the fireball towards Natsu. The Magma Dragon Slayer inhaled and devoured the flames instantly.

Lucy stared on as Makarov told the members of Fairy Tail not to worry about what the Council said. To not worry about always following rules; or their Magic would never advance! That they shouldn't be intimidated by the Council!

"Follow the path you truly believe in! That is what it means to be a Fairy Tail Mage!" Makarov yelled and every member burst into cheers and laughter! Lucy couldn't help the bright smile that appeared on her face! This was truly the best Guild in Fiore! Maybe even the world!

"Come on, Lucy, we need to make you an official member of Fairy Tail!" Natsu grinned at the brown-eyed blonde. Mira, Cana, and Lisanna smiled at her and she couldn't help but beam at all four of them. She followed them over to a set of stairs and realized that this set bypassed the second floor entirely and went straight to the third.

"What's that about?" Lucy wondered aloud; she got an answer though!

"The second floor is only for S-Class Mages," Cana informed the blonde with a wave of her hand. "All the S-Class Quests are kept on a separate board up there. They're dangerous and shouldn't be taken lightly, so here at Fairy Tail we separate them from the rest entirely."

"Oh, I see." Lucy nodded, it made sense after all.

The five of them made it to the third floor and Natsu knocked on the door. A call to enter was heard and Natsu opened the door for the girls. Once all four of them had entered Natsu walked in and closed the door behind him. Lucy looked around the office curiously. It was lined with bookshelves and had a large window overlooking Magnolia behind the desk. The floor had a thick rug covering the wooden floor, and there were two small couches and one chair surrounding a coffee table in front of the desk.

"So, Natsu, you've brought a new member candidate with you?" Makarov questioned the Dragon Slayer.

"Yeah gramps, this is Lucy, she wants to join!" Natsu patted Lucy's back and the blonde nervously took a step forward.

"H-Hello, Master Makarov, s-sir." Lucy greeted stiffly. "M-My name's, L-Lucy, I'd like to j-join Fairy Tail." She stood stock still as Makarov locked eyes with her for a few moments, neither of them blinking. She didn't even breathe, even after he broke their stare down. Then she realized the old man's eyes had just gone up and down her body, giving her a once over!

"Master…" Mira had a warning tone in her voice that made the old man flinch.

"Sure, she can join." Makarov smiled as he opened a drawer on his desk and pulled out the Guild Mark Stamp. Lucy exhaled in relief before beaming brightly at Makarov. The old man chuckled at the excited young lady while he pulled out a Guild Member Form. "Where do you want your Guild Mark, and what color would you like?"

"Here please," Lucy placed her right hand on the table. "In pink." Makarov nodded to the blonde as he made the adjustment to the stamp. No one noticed the look that Mira and Cana shared with each other at Lucy's color choice. Both girls were grinning at each other and Cana even wiggled her eyebrows playfully.

"There you are." Makarov smiled at Lucy as he removed the stamp and a pink Guild Mark glowed on Lucy's skin before becoming permanent, almost like a tattoo. "You're now an official Fairy Tail Mage, welcome to the family!"

"Thank you so much!" Lucy cheered as she admired her new Guild Mark.

"Congratulations Lucy!" Natsu cheered right along with her.

"Welcome to Fairy Tail!" Lisanna, Cana, and Mira welcomed her in unison. Lucy felt happy tears building up in the corners of her eyes.

"I do need you to fill out this Member Form, Lucy." Makarov spoke up after a moment as he tapped the form on his desk. "Simple stuff, just your name, age, and what type of Magic you use. It'll be sent to the Council so that they can keep track of another Guild Mage."

"Sure thing, Master!" Lucy smiled just saying that! She picked up the offered pen and leaned over to fill out the blank form. Cana, Mira, and Lisanna noticed Natsu turn away, which made them all smile. He was raised by a Dragon, but he'd learned politeness, and their Mate wasn't interested in ogling women other than them. That didn't stop Cana from taking a nice long look though. The brunette turned to Mira with a grin. The platinum-haired beauty rolled her eyes at her 'dragon sister' with a small smirk on her lips.

'Nice~' Cana's thoughts were easy to see on her face. The brunette wiggled her eyebrows again. Mira gave her a look that may as well have been, 'Down girl' in expression form. Cana was most definitely the flirty one among their family.

"Done." Lucy grinned as she slid the form back to Makarov and returned his pen.

"Alright, everything looks in order." Makarov nodded. "Oh, Celestial Spirit Magic, we haven't had a Celestial Spirit Mage in the Guild since I was a youngster." The old man smiled at Lucy who beamed in response. "Well, don't let me keep you, go tell the Guild to celebrate a new member joining!" He shooed the five out of his office with a laugh.

It didn't take long for a full-on party to start once Lucy was introduced to the Guild. Cheer and booze flowed and raucous laughter could be heard everywhere. Lucy had never expected such a warm welcome and was quickly swept up into the lively spirit of the evening! She eventually found herself sitting with Natsu, Mira, Lisanna, and Cana again. The girls were helpfully explaining the Guild Mage Ranking System to Lucy.

"So even if I was super powerful, I'd still be an E-Class Mage when I joined?" Lucy questioned her new friends.

"Yep," Lisanna nodded to her. "Without any prior Guild Membership, you start at the very bottom."

"Don't sweat it too much." Cana waved off. "Rank only means what Quests you can take. We don't hold Rank over the heads of each other in Fairy Tail. Well…most of us don't, anyway." All three girls rolled their eyes at the same time and Lucy wondered what the story was there.

"Just complete twenty E-Rank Quests and Master will promote you to D-Class." Mira smiled at Lucy gently. "You can probably get twenty E-Rank Quests done just helping out around Magnolia. It might take you a few days though."

"So E-Rank Quests are just to make some extra cash and give some experience with taking Quests, right?" Lucy questioned and all four mages nodded in agreement. "Sounds simple enough."

"It's starting to get late." Mira noticed as she looked at the clock on the wall. "Do you have a place to stay tonight, Lucy?"

"I have all my stuff in my Magic Bag," Lucy patted the purse she had with her. "But beyond that, I haven't really thought about it."

"Well, there are a few Inns in Magnolia, but that can get pricey pretty quick." Lisanna mentioned and Lucy wondered if she'd have enough to stay in one of the Inns before she could find a permanent place.

"You could apply for Fairy Hills." Mira informed the newest Fairy Tail Member. "Rent is One-hundred-thousand Jewel a month. But it's the Guild's all-female dormitory. A few of the girls in the Guild live there already."

Lucy mulled the option over in her head. That was a large amount of Jewel. Plus she hadn't even seen the accommodations yet. No way would she have time to set up a tour tonight!

"Alternatively," Cana grinned at the blonde. "You could crash at our place; we have a guest room you could borrow until you find something permanent, right?" She looked at Mira and Lisanna, who both nodded, before turning her gaze on Natsu. Her Mate gave her a look and Cana tilted her head while making 'Puppy Eyes' at him. Natsu caved immediately.

"Sure thing, Lucy, you're welcome to stay with us until you find a place." Natsu smiled at her.

"You guys all live t-together?" Lucy felt her cheeks heating up as her eyes widened.

"Yeah, of course, why wouldn't we?" Natsu blinked at her. Mira and Lisanna giggled at the cute expression on Natsu's face. He looked adorable when he was confused!

"W-Well… I… I mean…" Lucy stumbled over her words and Cana chuckled at the flustered blonde.

"Natsu's our Mate, basically our husband; we all built the house we live in together. It's only normal that we'd live together, right?" Lisanna asked with an adorable smile, as if that was the simplest explanation in the world. Mira wanted to hug her cute little sister right now!

"Oh…wow…" Lucy breathed out as she slowly wrapped her head around this new information. "Not to pry, but I think I might need a bit more explanation at some point…"

"We'll give you the details later on." Cana waved that topic aside for the future. "If you're still having doubts about staying with us for a bit, I have one last deal sweetener!"

"What's that?" Lucy asked with some curiosity mixed with wariness.

"We have a private hot spring." Cana grinned as she rested her cheek against her palm. Lucy's shocked face made Natsu crack up and Lisanna and Mira couldn't stop the giggles that bubbled up either.

"If you're all sure…" Lucy looked between the four mages, seeing acceptance in their smiles made her own beautiful smile come out. "Then I thank you for your hospitality." She gave them a short bow, it was the best she could do while seated.

"Don't worry about it, Lucy!" Natsu grinned at the Celestial Spirit Mage. "It'll be fun!"

"Well, no time like the present." Mira smiled as she stood up. "Let's head home and get Lucy settled!"

"We'll get a bath afterward," Cana smiled as she put an arm around Lucy's shoulders. "You'll love it! Most relaxing bath you'll ever have!" She promised and Lucy smiled back, a faint pink coloring her cheeks.

"We'll make something nice for dinner." Lisanna grinned as she walked hand in hand with Natsu.

Lucy couldn't help but feel warmth in her chest. These people, her new Guild mates, were opening up their home to her after only knowing her for a few hours. She'd never expected such a warm welcome from her new Guild; or such kindness from her new friends. She enjoyed the casual small talk as they got to know each other even better on the walk to the house. She'd definitely made the right choice on which Guild to join! No doubt about it!